Photo of Brian Pullin

Brian Pullin

Subscribe to Brian Pullin's Posts

Brian’s goal is to negotiate a contract that will thoroughly protect clients for the long term, and he strives to strike the best business and legal deal. He has the background to handle both; after serving as in-house counsel for a financial institution, Brian understands how businesses think. He knows that the work he does is central to a client’s business, and he knows how important it is that deals move forward without legal difficulties.

Contact: Read more about Brian Pullin

The Texas legislature recently passed Senate Bill 760 (“SB 760”). SB 760, which takes effect on September 1, 2021, relates to the decommissioning of solar power facilities.  Under the new law, solar companies must now comply with similar decommissioning requirements as those previously imposed on wind companies during the 2019 legislative session.  SB 760 requires solar power facility agreements to now provide that the grantee is responsible for removing its solar power facilities from the landowner’s property.
Continue Reading Texas Legislature Expands Decommissioning Requirements to Solar Power Facility Agreements with Enactment of SB 760

As more renewable energy projects are being developed across the United States, the number of projects in areas that contain active oil and gas and mining operations continues to rise. In the beginning stages of greenfield development projects, the oil and gas and mining operations affecting parcels within the site plan is sometimes overlooked, and if not addressed, these types of interests and operations can cause significant delays and costs when developing and financing a new project. However, some initial research and due diligence at the beginning of a greenfield development project can usually protect the project from these types of issues and costs and assure the project can stay on schedule and budget.
Continue Reading A Time and Cost Saving Measure: Researching Oil and Gas and Mining Operations During the Beginning Stages of Greenfield Renewable Energy Development Projects

A recent Texas case, Lyle v. Midway Solar, S.W. 3d, 2020 WL 7769632 (Tex. App. Ct., El Paso 83rd Dist. 2020), addressed a challenge that many solar developers wrestle with: how to handle mineral owners. The El Paso Court of Appeals clarified this complex issue and demonstrated the importance of properly addressing the minerals on a site prior to developing a project.

Key Takeaways for Renewable Energy Developers:

This is an important case that renewable energy developers can look to in assessing the minerals on a project site. First, the court actually acknowledged that Texas was a leader in energy and produced the largest share of oil and gas, but that public policy favors adding renewable energy sources into the State’s energy portfolio, which is a great development for renewable energy developers. This case focuses on the conflict between the surface/solar owner and mineral owner/developer, which is always an issue especially for solar developers. The opinion does not address any fact-specific analysis that must be performed when applying the accommodation doctrine, but it 1) does help confirm that the accommodation doctrine does apply when the deed/contract does not address the uses of the surface, 2) sets when the application of the accommodation doctrine should be used, and 3) shows the importance of obtaining any agreements from the proper parties before filing them of record. …
Continue Reading Mineral Owner vs. Solar Company: New Texas Case Addresses Key Issue

When beginning a solar project in Texas, developers must be cognizant of the potential conflict between the surface and mineral estates. In Texas, mineral rights can be severed from the surface estate, and when severed, the mineral estate rights are dominant, meaning the mineral estate has the implied right to use as much of the surface, subsurface, and adjacent airspace of the land as is reasonably necessary to locate and develop the mineral estate beneath. This right can cause complications for solar developers if not properly addressed.

This blog post focuses on the preemptive steps a solar developer should take to protect its project from impacts by oil and gas operations.…

Continue Reading Texas Solar Energy Projects: Avoiding Mineral Issues

Turbines

Members of Husch Blackwell’s renewable energy team attended the 2019 Infocast Wind Power Finance & Investment Summit in Carlsbad, CA, February 5-7. Here are some of the themes from the conference:

  • While there is a push to complete many projects in 2020, there was a lot of discussion about how the industry and project financing will evolve in coming years as the Production Tax Credit steps down and after it sunsets. The industry is becoming increasingly complex with ever-changing state and federal policies, an increase in C&I offtakers, increasingly complex non-traditional offtake arrangements, and new financing parties waiting in the wings. It is important to understand the challenges and opportunities that these changes create. Husch Blackwell’s renewable energy team can help you navigate these ever changing challenges and opportunities and ensure that your project is completed on time and in compliance with all state and federal policies.

…
Continue Reading 2019 Infocast Wind Power Finance & Investment Summit Recap